Netbooks continue to be the hottest segment of the computer industry. Netbook growth is impressive given that most other computer segments are dropping significantly. Dell has proven to be one of the few computer makers to offer a successful Linux-based netbook with its Mini line.

Dell has now announced new Ubuntu options for its Mini 10 netbook. Dell started offering the Mini 10 running Ubuntu Linux this week along with some new storage options including 32GB and 64GB HDDs. The storage options will cost $75 and $125 respectively and are not offered on XP-based Mini 10 netbooks.

Bsquare, a mobile software developer, will apparently be porting Adobe Flash Lite to Dell netbooks. Interestingly, they let slip that these Dell netbooks would be running on Android. Bsquare mentioned the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 specifically and noted that Android will most likely be appearing on that netbook.

In what capacity Adobe Flash Lite will be appearing is anyone’s guess. And we don’t know when the Adobe Flash Lite port will be available on these netbooks or when Android will be making its appearance, though it’s likely it will all happen at once.

MAINGEAR has decided to bring back their top of the line gaming PC, the F131. The system offers the same functionality and high-class performance as it’s predecessor, with some new tricks as well. Now, you can crank it up a few notches with 3 ATI 4890 graphics cards in CrossFireX. How about up to 8TB of storage space thanks to its numerous SATA connectors?

It also features a new Domino ALC liquid cooling system provided by CoolIT Systems. Want the outside customized? No problem. MAINGEAR’s M.A.R.C laser etching tech will put in place a logo or image of your choosing.

One of the major drawbacks of a netbook is the lack of storage options. That’s why NU is offering their Universal Docking Station for netbooks. It’s pretty darn useful and comes with an integrated Super-Multi DVD writer next to a removable enclosure that can hold another 2.5″ hard drive.

But that’s not all. They also threw in a two-port USB hub and a built-in fan. No word yet on price or availability, but it should be headed stateside soon.

Well, here it is, the Kindle DX 9.7″ “wireless reading device”. It’s now available for $489 on Amazon. Yes, it’s big. Yes, the Chiclets-style keyboard looks absurd. Some features include having the thinness of a Typical magazine. Holds up to 3,500 books, 9.7″ diagonal e-ink screen boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and sharp images.

It also features Auto-Rotating Screen, built in PDF reader and more. How many of you are ready to ditch your old Kindles for this guy? You can tell us. We promise we won’t call you a e-book worm or anything.

I know a few people who swear by the Livescribe smartpen. The device stores digital copies of handwritten notes and can record audio notes at the same time. I have never used the pen myself, but the problem for me I think would be that I have horrible handwriting. I would end up with printed notes I can’t read and digital notes I can’t read at the same time.

Livescribe has announced a new feature for its smartpen called Pencasts. The feature allows anyone using the smartpen to share notes digitally along with drawings, and conversations via websites, podcasts and even tweets.

PhotoFast has come up with yet another drive that blows the competition away. It’s called the G-Monster-Promise PCIe SSD and this one offers up an impressive 1,000MB/s. Sure, it isn’t the fastest available in the entire world, but it demands your respect.

You can actually get your hands on the G-Monster-Promise right now, though it’s only available in Japan. Sizes range from 128GB worth of storage all the way up to 1TB. Obviously pricing is high with the 128GB model going for about $1,600, the 512GB model going for $2,000 and the 1TB model going for $4,500.

The rumored larger-screened Kindle just had some basic specs leak out. The Kindle DX is rumored to have a 9.7-inch screen, the ability to add annotations and PDF support. Looks like this Kindle DX is designed to appeal to students and textbook publishers. The Wall Street Journal reports that some chemistry and computer science students at various American universities will receive the new textbook-friendly Kindle.

Some that have been specifically named so far are Case Western, Pace, Princeton, Reed, Darden School at the University of Virginia, and Arizona State. Apparently it also includes an actual functional web browser.

A recently revealed Lenovo user manual pretty much confirms an updated S10-2 netbook. We don’t have complete specs, but it looks like more than a minor update, as the netbook appears to have a different hinge rounded edges, an extra USB port, a larger trackpad, and a revised keyboard layout.

There are also some new access bays for RAM, hard drive, and wireless card. But sadly, Lenovo has removed the ExpressCard slot. Consider that a trade-off for the built-in 3G. Nothing on pricing or availability yet, but we expect them to make it official any day now.

Word on the street is that Amazon will be rolling out a larger version of its Kindle e-book reader sometime this week. A model designed to help the tanking newspaper business, with a larger screen for displaying newspapers and magazines, even textbooks.

The textbooks aspect should be interesting, as school kids have to carry all those heavy ass books in their backpack. Also this is bound to tick off the makers of those physical books who have until now profitted nicely on their overpriced tomes.

On May 5th, general users will have access to Windows 7 for one full year. It is already available for download for MSDN and TechNet subscribers. This is only the Release Candidate version and will expire on June 1, 2010. The Release Candidate is basically the near finished product and the final stage in testing.

Supposedly it will have all the features of the final version. We still don’t know when the final version will be released but according to rumors it’ll be late 2009 or early 2010. Windows 7 features a bunch of new features including a new taskbar, libraries, jump lists, and more. Windows 7 will also come packaged with the newest Internet Explorer (IE8).

Samsung announced the STORY Station external hard drive, which includes a few interesting features. The storage device uses a 3.5-inch HDD for backing up your information. It will be available in only Korea first. Some features include a USB 2.0 interface and Auto Backup, SafetyKey and SecretZone functions will give you an optimum level of security for your data.

There’s also a power-saving mode so you aren’t an energy hog. The hard drive is encased in a brushed aluminum exterior. The STORY Station from Samsung will be released in Europe sometime in May in 500GB, 1TB and 1.5TB flavors. The device will appear in other areas as well, though we don’t have release dates yet or even pricing.

Everybody is jumping on board the android wagon. Acer is already hard at work on several different devices using the operating system and software, and they plan to launch a smartphone using the software later this year.

Acer doesn’t want to be left in the dust, what with Samsung recently outing the I7500 and HTC pimping the Magic overseas. Gianfranco Lanci (President and CEO) says that “the entire industry is looking at Android,” and that the company “is testing Android on a lot of different solutions.”

PeeWee PC’s Pivot Tablet Laptop is an expensive way to allow your kids to spill their drinks all over a laptop. The three pound convertible tablet features a spill and drop-resistant shell, a carry handle, a 10-inch touchscreen display and a 6-cell Li-ion battery.

Under the hood there’s a 1.6GHz Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, two USB 2.0 ports, a 60GB HDD, 1.3 megapixel camera, Ethernet, WiFi, and Windows XP Home. They’ve also included a proprietary security suite to keep kids safe from unsavory internet elements. Plus ten age appropriate software and game titles. If your kid spills drinks all the time and wants a new netbook, you can get one today.

Android is the hottest netbook OS around. All the cool kids are doing it. And today it looks like we can add another cool kid to that list. Averatec CEO Tae-Hyun Cho says that the company will ship a new netbook with a “surprise” OS.

One that combines “cell phone and PC technology”, which we should see in August or September. That’s all we know, but it looks like it will be cheap since Averatec is positioning itself to take advantage of thrifty consumers.